VOTE 'YES' ON QUESTION 2

Newton - When marijuana was found in Fire Chief Joseph LaCroix's car
this summer, the reaction in Newton was telling.

Not many people suspected that the chief was getting high on his way
to work, and few were surprised to learn that the pot belonged to a
family member.

But for the period when it was unknown why there was an illegal
substance hidden in a city-owned vehicle, and for some days after,
there was a very active discussion taking place on the Newton TAB blog.

The blog is often a lively battleground, and the chief has taken his
share of criticism.

But this time even some of LaCroix's biggest critics told us to back
off the story and not make such a big deal out of a little bit of pot.

Marijuana is less harmful to your health and society than alcohol,
one blogger said. "Give the Chief a break. It's time to get marijuana
legalized," said another. "It isn't addicting, it doesn't cause
violence to erupt as alcohol does, and it isn't a gateway to other
drug use." Marijuana should be decriminalized, said several.

While Chief LaCroix's situation presented an unusual circumstance, we
have also been witness to more prevalent instances.

Young -- and older -- adults who have been arrested for carrying
small amounts of pot speak of the problems that stay with them for years.

An arrest for possessing a small amount of pot generates a CORI
(Criminal Offender Record Information) report, something that's
checked anytime we want to accompany our children on a field trip, or
work in the school library, or coach a soccer team. A CORI does a lot
more harm to someone's future than a little bit of marijuana. We all
know people who smoke pot. We may not know that they do, because they
do it privately, but they do. They don't flaunt it or abuse it. They
believe it's much like alcohol when used moderately and socially.
While no one should be above the law, we agree with those who have
problems with the law. That's why we're supporting Question 2 on the
November ballot. Question 2 would replace the criminal penalties for
possession of one ounce or less of marijuana with a new system of
civil penalties.

The current penalty is up to a $500 fine and six months in jail, for
any amount of pot. If decriminalized, pot would become a civil
offense, similar to a speeding ticket. It would still be illegal, it
just wouldn't remain on one's record forever. We're not advocating
the merits of smoking pot. It's still a mind-altering drug, as is alcohol.

It still involves inhaling smoke into one's lungs, as do cigarettes.
It can impair judgment, and we're calling for its decriminalization,
not legalization. Opponents of the ballot question equate
decriminalizing to legalizing, and say that marijuana is a gateway to
other drugs, but their fears can't be backed up with facts.

Eleven states have enacted similar laws, yet there's no evidence of
increased marijuana use. According to a 2008 report by Harvard
economist Jeffrey Miron, Massachusetts spends nearly $30 million a
year on law enforcement related to low-level marijuana possession arrests.

Our public safety resources should be allocated toward fighting
violence and keeping our streets safe, not toward tying up the courts
with minor infractions that do no harm to anybody.

We urge our readers to vote 'Yes' on Question 2.